Sight of Steve Waugh has English reeling at the thought of another summer of mental disintegration

The invincible Steve Smith is not the only sight in the Australian dressing room which is sending chills down the English spines and leaving them with a sense of hopelessness this summer.

Steve Waugh, Australian team mentor, Justin Langer, coach of Australia, and Australian chairman of selectors, Trevor Hohns, inspect the Edgbaston pitch.

Steve Waugh is back in the Australian dressing room and so are his two favourite words — mental disintegration.

They were first uttered in the Australian dressing room 30 years ago as Allan Border’s relentless Australians decided to show no pity on England in the final Test at The Oval setting them 403 runs off 65 overs after a last day declaration.

Carl Rackemann is said to have dropped the line first. Border liked it and said “well then, mental disintegration it is,’’ and now Tim Paine has turned the screws similarly tight by setting England a target of 398 at Edgbaston.

The very sight of Waugh returning as a mentor in the Australian dressing room would have sent chills down English spines for he made four Ashes tours — and won the lot.

Steve Smith circa 2019 is, in a sense, Steve Waugh circa 1989, the man England simply cannot get out.

Things became so desperate in 1989 for England trying to get Waugh out they spiralled into dark comedy.

When England captain David Gower was harassed in his hotel room by a tabloid reporter who wanted an interview Gower hollered “I can’t come out … I’m too busy working on a plan to get out Steve Waugh.’’

That same sense of hopelessness has now engulfed the current England team at Edgbaston when Smith takes the crease.

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Waugh’s return to the Australia dressing room — however understated the role — is significant because it is just what a developing team needs.

Waugh has made a study of this role during his time as a team mentor during the London and Beijing Olympics, knowing when the cajole, when to talk and when to listen.

When the Waugh twins retired the common tip was that Mark would leave the game and spend his days consumed by his other great love — horses — and that Steve would stay a hands-on cricket man for life.

But the reverse was true with Mark becoming a commentator and selector and Steve staying very much in the shadows, devoting his time to his charity and his family and selected business interests with his main connection to the team being his custom of ringing every Test debutant to wish them luck.

Outside an occasional visit to the Sydney Test he was hardly ever spotted at big-time cricket game and even his brothers, when asked whether they had seen him much, would say “no, have you?’’

But his phone never stopped ringing.

Steve Smith and Steve Waugh after Smith scored his second century for the Edgbaston Test.

Australian coach Justin Langer has always worshipped at Waugh’s alter because when few people had total faith that Langer and Matt Hayden would go the distance as Test players Waugh’s belief in them was strong and consistent.

Waugh saw Test cricket from all angles — the highest peaks and the most desolate foothills.

He has been Travis Head, tossed into a battling team after a crisis.

He has been Usman Khawaja, seemingly on permanent trial for his place.

Most of all he knows how to win, particularly against England.

Originally published as Sight of Steve Waugh has English reeling at the thought of another summer of mental disintegration